For three years, this Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole slept under a tarp at the back of a garden. Yet the owner wasn't a careless collector. Lou had bought this Ferrari It was brand-new in 1985, and he had actually stopped driving it to keep it in good condition. After his death, his wife Dee was left with this car, which had become a burden but was full of memories. She finally decided to part with it.
So the story begins long before vegetation started taking over the underside of the 308. Lou had driven only about 4,200 miles—less than 6,800 km—behind the wheel. Once it reached a certain mileage, he chose to drive it as little as possible in order to keep his Ferrari in a condition as close to its original state as possible. After he passed away, the car remained outside in the yard. Dee protected it as best she could with a tarp and continued to start its V8 engine regularly. But as the years went by, she decided to find it a new owner. «This car needs to find a good home,» she explains, hoping to entrust it to someone who will take care of it just as her husband did.
Under the tarp, nature had begun its work
Before selling the Ferrari, Dee turned to Larry Kosilla, an American detailing specialist and founder of AMMO NYC. The goal wasn’t to undertake a full-scale, costly restoration, but to make the car presentable while preserving as much of its authenticity as possible. And there was a lot of work to be done. Underneath the car, plants had begun to grow all the way into the suspension. Damp leaves, dirt, grime, and spider webs had accumulated over the years. After the initial deep cleaning, Kosilla estimates he removed as much as three to four kilograms of soggy leaves.
The interior held another surprise. Mice had taken up residence in the Ferrari, tearing out part of the insulation to build their nest. Hidden beneath the trunk trim was a significant buildup of debris and droppings, accompanied by corrosion. Despite this, the seats and carpets turned out to be surprisingly well-preserved, which is consistent with the car’s exceptionally low mileage.
Ferrari's V8 engine comes back to life
One far more important question remained: Had the engine survived this long period of inactivity? A specialist replaced the gasoline, checked the oil and filters, and topped off the coolant. Since the battery was dead, an external jump starter was needed.
After a few turns of the starter, the V8 roared to life. The fact that Dee had regularly run the engine all those years seems to have gone a long way toward preserving it, even though the Ferrari now needs a complete overhaul.
After cleaning and polishing, the Rosso Corsa has regained much of its luster, though the traces of corrosion remain. And the story already has its conclusion: the 308 has finally found a new owner. The new owner plans to continue the restoration and, in particular, treat the rust. After years of sitting virtually motionless—and the last three years in a garden—this Ferrari, with just 6,800 km on the odometer, should soon be back on the road.
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